Wishing Well
by priceofpower
Summary: In an Alternate Universe: Minato doesn't die, the Uchiha are still murderer but Itachi makes a different choice. But what happens when a scarred and sightless Sasuke looks into a magic well and sees what he could have been? Oneshot


Wishing Well

Kushina gave her life to protect her son, the village and her husband.

Minato would not let his wife's sacrifice be in vain. He lived for her, their son and the village. He was the Hokage after all. It was his duty.

And with the betrayal of the Uchiha clan, it would be his duty to protect the innocent as well.

This was why he found himself in the hospital at the moment. The village had been shaken by the civil war between the Uchiha and himself. He knew it wasn't the Uchiha's fault, he knew that they hadn't known about Madara's existence but Danzo had been working behind his back, exiling them little by little. Minato had just barely been able to stop the dispute before other countries could take advantage of them.

But at a terrible cost.

Danzo…

He knocked on the hospital door softly before entering. His heart clenched then he saw the small eight-year-old boy curled away from him. So his name was Sasuke. This was one of Fugaku's kids.

"Hey," he said lightly. "My name's Minato. I want to talk to you Sasuke."

"Go away! I don't care if you're the Hokage!" The boy's voice shook terribly. "They're all dead because of you!"

"Your brother isn't," Minato said slowly. "And I've brought the man who did all this to justice. It's going to be okay. I promise." He paused listening to the boy's muted sobs. "Your parents were good friends of mine…that's why I'm going to adopt you and Itachi."

"Niisan…I couldn't…" the boy murmured. "I can't…"

Minato came closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I'm so sorry. You're brother will be coming soon. Don't worry."

"My clan is all but dead…" he said.

The boy sat up slowly, Minato's gaze automatically honing in on the bandages over the kid's eyes.

"I'm one of the last left and I will never gain the Sharingan. They told me this morning."

Minato's heart broke. He gritted his teeth. Danzo had gone in and done this. He had taken the youngest of the clan and held the child hostage, blinding him in order to get Fugaku to surrender.

Then went ahead and killed the clan's leader after he had surrendered.

"When will Itachi come?" Sasuke asked anxiously.

And Itachi had come at the last minute to protect his little brother, killing Danzo in the process. But it had nearly killed the boy to do so.

"Don't worry," Minato cooed. "He'll be okay."

…

Naruto came running into the house, all footsteps and hurricane-like yells.

"Sasuke! You won't believe what I found!"

The blond left the door wide open as he darted to the back of the house where Sasuke would be. He ran into Sasuke's room but found it to be empty. The lights were off but they were hardly ever on unless Naruto or Minato forgot to turn them off. Naruto looked down the hallway to see the balcony door ajar.

"I'm out here, dobe."

"Teme!" Naruto pouted walking outside to find the Uchiha lighting two candles beside the rose bush. Oh, he thought. It was that day again: the anniversary of his father's death and the ending of the civil dispute.

Sasuke's nimble fingers were careful as he made a small hand-sign and, leaning close to the wick so as not to miss, lit the candle. "What did you find?"

"It's a surprise," Naruto said slyly, nudging Sasuke in the shoulder. "Trust me it's worth it!"

Sasuke's hand lingered wistfully near the candles. His head hung low so that his bangs hid his scarred eyes. Naruto knew that Sasuke wanted to visit their graves like he did every year since the incident. And they would see Itachi as well…

"Naruto—"

"Come on! Itachi is already there!"

Sasuke bit his lip. "Okay…it better be good."

"YES!" Naruto grabbed Sasuke's arm and started to yank him through the house toward the ajar from door.

"Naruto!" Minato scolded appearing out of nowhere as he usually did. "Where are you trying to drag Sasuke off to? Please don't do anything stupid again like you did when you left Sasuke on top of a tree."

"Touchan!" Naruto whined. "That was _one _time and we were training chakra control!"

"Ch!" Sasuke crossed his arms. "I can take care of myself."

Minato pinched his noise. "Please be careful and please, Naruto, close the door when you come home."

"Yeah yeah yeah, come on, Sasuke!"

"Hold on, dobe! I need to grab my glasses and my cane." Sasuke wrenched his hand from Naruto's grip, marching back to his room to grab his foldable cane, which he used as a weapon, and a pair of sunglasses to hide his eyes.

"Hurry up!"

"Naruto," Minato said exasperatedly. "What's the hurry?"

"It's just a surprise."

Sasuke returned and offered Naruto his hand. "Please don't get us killed."

Naruto grinned and they were out the door in seconds. The villagers threw dirty looks as they passed. Both of them tried to ignore their whispers as they passed but Sasuke's ears were keener than most people's.

"The demon and the last of that traitorous clan."

Naruto saw the Uchiha grit his teeth. He couldn't image how Sasuke felt in his eternal darkness. Sasuke didn't have any vision at all. Danzo had made sure of that, had made sure that there would be no chance that Sasuke would ever use his kekki-genkai. It was beyond cruel.

Naruto put his hand on his stomach…but then his own father had sealed that monster inside of him too.

They were near the old Uchiha district and Sasuke stiffened. He knew exactly where they were, the village memorized in his mind. He may not have the Sharingan but he was still an Uchiha genius.

They passed the old lake and ventured into the woods.

Sasuke slowed when they reached the unfamiliar ground, his steps careful so as not to trip. He lifted his head slightly, listening as the birds chirped. "There's something out here."

Naruto smiled.

The kyuubi had brought him out here. Or perhaps it had been his mother calling him. Sasuke could feel it too.

They entered a small clearing where in the center was a giant tree with a small well at its base. Itachi was sleeping beside the well, his eyes closed lazily. Naruto tugged Sasuke forward roughly.

"Itachi-niisan, Sasuke's here!" Naruto screamed startling the older Uchiha from his slumber.

Sasuke wrenched his hand out of Naruto's grasp. "Idiot. Niisan, what's going on?"

"It's a wishing well," Itachi said pulling out a pair of glasses and adjusting them accordingly. A smile tugged at the older Uchiha's lips. "But this one is special. I did some research in Konoha's ancient records and came across a legend that described this. I wasn't sure if it existed but then I found it." Itachi spent most of his time in Konoha's public library and had special access to its record archives underground. After he left ANBU, he wanted to find other ways to maintain peace and being a pacifist who had lived through two wars, administration was his calling. He was also Minato's main advisor since he was praised for his genius.

"Ch. Okay so you want to make a wish?" Sasuke walked toward Itachi's voice, his own voice dripping sarcasm. "That's nice."

"More than that!" Naruto continued excitedly. "It lets you see thing!"

Sasuke stopped and turned, his lips pressed in a hard line that truly questioned Naruto's IQ.

"Sasuke," Itachi warned. "It shows what we are and were in other lives…and maybe what we will be."

"I saw my mom!" Naruto said and smoothed back his yellow hair. "I'm also super cool with the kyuubi when I'm older and in other lives!"

Itachi didn't say anything for a moment.

"Well what did you see?" Sasuke snapped and the other two could tell he was getting irritable. He had reason to though. "I can't look into the well so…niisan, what did _you_ see?"

"I saw what would have happened if I had made a different choice."

Naruto pulled Sasuke forward to the well despite the Uchiha's protests. Sasuke knelt down to feel the edge and sat. "That doesn't tell me anything."

"Take off your sunglasses, otouto, and I'll show you."

Naruto and Sasuke shuddered. It was extremely difficult to put Sasuke under genjutsu since his blindness made him all but immune to the technique, but Itachi being Itachi had managed to figure out a way. He learned the technique so that his brother could still have moments of sight. Naruto remembered Itachi's face when Sasuke said he couldn't remember their parents faces anymore and he had no idea what Naruto or Minato looked like. He associated colors with things like blue is the sky but Naruto knew that Sasuke couldn't really remember the difference between some. He had lost his sight so young.

But the process of this genjutsu was taxing. It hurt Itachi's eyes and made Sasuke nauseous and sick.

Sasuke pulled off his sunglasses, lifting his head so Naruto and Itachi could see his ruined eyes. They were clouded like murky water with poisoned kunai slash scars. They didn't even fully open, just a little so that it looked like Sasuke was eternally sleepy.

Itachi held Sasuke's head close, his fingers cradling the back of his skull where the visual part of his brain was. Naruto waited while Itachi showed Sasuke what he had seen in the well. Naruto knew what he had seen: power, hatred, murder and madness. Sasuke would have had the strongest eyes in Uchiha history but at a terrible price. Itachi would have died at his brother's hands. In that version of their world, Naruto had been alone. The third would have never told him about his parents or even about the kyuubi that was sealed inside of him.

He looked at Sasuke as the blind Uchiha began shaking and sweating.

He wondered how Itachi felt seeing his brother as a true shinobi of the Uchiha clan. Sasuke had managed to become a ninja but he would never be of that caliber. He was deadly, Naruto had more than one scar and burn from when they sparred, but Sasuke was dependent on his teammates. Especially when they left the village and he didn't have a feel for their surroundings.

"My eyes would have been…" Sasuke breathed reaching forward and touching Itachi's face.

"I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, otouto," Itachi whispered. "It seems that no matter what the events were, I always failed in protecting you."

"Niisan, don't cry." Sasuke's fingers wiped away the few tears that had escaped the older Uchiha's eyes. "I don't care that I can't see." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I know that's why you're upset but did you see how crazy I was? Yeah sure, the susano'o is pretty awesome! Can you do that?" Sasuke gave a very small chuckle. "But did you see that Amateratsu! I guess I finally was able to surpass you."

Sasuke pulled his brother forward so that they bumped foreheads. "But I love you, Itachi. I'd rather have you, Naruto and Minato than the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan any day." Sasuke pulled away and poked the well water.

"Can we please make a wish now?" Naruto asked unable to handle the serene silence that had washed over them.


End file.
